Library Architecture as a Method of Study History and to Understand the Lives of People Essay

Introduction

There are many ways to study history and to understand the lives of people from long ago. One can pore through voluminous documents and unearth archaeological materials from digging sites. But another way is to study the architecture of buildings that remain standing to this day. A good example is the Library of Congress, specifically the Jefferson Building and the Boston Public Library. These great structures are not just examples of breathtaking designs but also speak volumes of the time period when these were commissioned and built. Modern creations like the Central Library of Seattle on the other hand tell of a different story, reflecting the needs of the 21^st century such as efficiency – that form has to follow function.

Boston Public Library

The library was constructed from 1887 to 1894. Built a year before the Jefferson building, the Boston Public Library was constructed for a purpose. Just like other monumental undertaking of that period this library was supposed to make a statement. It was built during a period called the American Renaissance (Cashman, 1993). A century after the United States gained its independence from British hegemony its people and government are now ready to build a nation not just for the sake of nationhood but to show the world what Americans are made of. The best way to do that is to merge knowledge and beauty as depicted clearly in the inscriptions found at the entrance of the library and it reads: “Built by the People and Dedicated to the Advancement of Learning” (Cashman, 1993, p.284).

The graceful design and grand scale of the Boston Public Library bring to mind the type of wonderful architectural designs that are common in Europe. A glimpse of its architecture can be had through a short description provided below:

The form of the Boston Public Library is that of a large Renaissance palazzo in pink Milford granite … designed by Charles Follen McKim to contrast with the darker colours of neighbouring buildings in Copley Square. All the different interior elements – entrance function and decoration – are subservient to the outer form of a solid block. However, the interior is dark – handsome t those who admire a stolid design giving an impression of stability but heavy and oppressive to those who find libraries intimidating (Cashman, 1993, p.83).

A key term that helps in deciphering the significance and meaning of the architecture of this period is the word Renaissance. Technically it means rebirth but in the study of late 19^th century American architecture a historical context provides a better definition: “In the mid-16^th century, the painter and art historian Giorgio Vasari used the Italian version of the word ‘Renaissance’, rinascita, to refer explicitly to the revival not only of the artistic standards and literary prototypes of the Classical age, but also to distinguish the art of the present from that of the more recent Medieval past” (Johnson, 2005, p.4). More importantly, it refers to the “visual culture of ancient Greece and Rome” (Johnson, 2005, p.4). Greek temples such as the temple erected in the honour of the goddess Athena comes to mind. Roman columns in the ionic style also come to mind.

The visual culture of ancient Greece is linked to its magnificent temples while the visual culture of ancient Rome is linked to the majesty of the Roman Empire. But Renaissance art cannot be fully understood without the inclusion of religious art. Finally, renaissance art is also the celebration of philosophy and science. A combination of all these influences can help explain why one can find statues of Art and Science guarding the doors of the Boston Public Library (Cashman, 1993, p.84). There is also the mural of Edwin Austin Abbey entitled The Quest for the Holy Grail as well as Pierre Puvis de Chavannes’ The Muses of Inspiration Hail the Spirit: The Harbinger of Light celebrating what the author termed as the four great expressions of the human mind: poetry, philosophy, history, and science (Cashman, 1993, p.84). These are done in pale colour schemes reminiscent of the frescoes of the early Italian Renaissance (Cashman, 1993, p.84).

Although the influence of European art was evident it has to be pointed out that the artworks and the design were distinctly American at the core. Consider for instance John Singer Sargent’s mural The Oppression of the Children of Israel – it is an artwork commemorating the difficult years of American slavery. Another examples can be found in the main staircase as described in the following: “The great twin lions, couchant, on pedestals at the turn of the stairs are of unpolished Siena marble and are the work of Louis St. Gaudens … they are memorials to Massachusetts Civil War infantry regiments, the Second and the Twentieth (Boston Public Library, 2011, p.1).

Library of Congress

A year after the construction of the Boston Public Library was initiated, architects John Smithmeyer and Paul Pelz began their work on what would become one of the most enduring landmarks in U.S. history – the Thomas Jefferson building which is more popularly known as the Library of Congress (Moeller & Weeks, 2006, p.37). One of the major reasons for building this edifice is not just to house books but to create a monument to honour the past (Cole & Reed, 1997). The builders “used the arts of the late nineteenth century to vivify the memory of the whole Western past and remind visitors of the debt of an ebullient New World to distant times and places – an architectural and artistic memorial” (Cole & Reed, 1997, p.16). It was said to be influenced by European Renaissance art.

The design was inspired by the “Paris Opera of the nineteenth century and Italian palazzos of the fifteenth century” (Cashman, 1993, p.86). The type of materials used demonstrates the commitment to the project and the overall purpose of the building. Consider the fact that “fifteen varieties of marble and 400,000 cubic feet of granite was used as well as significant quantities of bronze, gold and mahogany” (Architect of the Capitol, 2011, p.1). European art’s influence was made evident in its interior design that boasts of “towering marble columns, murals, mosaics, and stained glass” (Cashman, 1993, p.87) There is also the great dome “gilded on the outside and topped by a golden torch, they focused on the national library on Capitol Hill some of the awe and sanctity usually associated with houses of worship” (Cole & Reed, 1997, p.17).

However some critics could not fully appreciate and understand the purpose of the building especially when viewed at the turn of the 20^th century. According to one commentary, “While almost certainly inspired by the principle face of the elegant Paris Opera House by Charles Garnier, the exterior of the library is somewhat overwrought, and the monumental structure was not universally admired at first” (Moeller & Weeks, 2006, p.37). This criticism can be easily ignored based from the perspective of 21^st century admirers; however, it provided a clear understanding of the architectural style:

In the late nineteenth century the architectural style of the Jefferson Building was said to be ‘Italian Renaissance.’ Today, it is recognized as a premier example of the Beaux Arts style, which is theatrical, heavily ornamented and kinetic. It is a style perfectly suited to a young, wealthy, and imperialistic nation in its Gilded Age (Architect of the Capitol, 2011, p.1).

Regardless of the motives of the designers, the Jefferson Building is truly an awe-inspiring structure because of its architecture and the artistic embellishments that are present in both the exterior and interior of the building. However, its purpose is clear – aside from providing shelter to books and readers it is a showpiece of American culture as interpreted by its designers and the people who provided the funds for its construction.

Central Library of Seattle

The Seattle Central Library is one of the most popular landmarks in the United States, particularly in the state of Washington. It is the flagship library of Seattle, Washington’s public library system. It is a structure with forward-thinking design. The principal architect – Rem Koolhaas – used glass and steel as his main materials for the building. It has been said that the design was influenced by another equally impressive and unconventional design – the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, Spain. The architectural pride of Bilbao also displays an inventive use of glass and other unconventional materials.

The Central Library of Seattle is portrayed “as an example of the classic modernist dictum ‘form follows function’ based on the form of the building being derived from consolidating the programme requirements into platforms that were modified to maximize contextual relationships and then fitted with a glass skin” (Chaplin & Stara, 2009, p.84). Another commentator pointed out that “while the dynamism and multiplicity of the Bilbao Guggenheim evoked the fragility of contemporary conditions, the crystalline form of the Seattle Library expresses the conceptual diagram – optimized programmatic platforms and maximized contextual relationships” (Seligmann, 2008, p.224). In other words the Central Library of Seattle was not only created to inspire but to show that great design can be conformed to practical use.

The overall purpose of the design can be seen through the following statement “though couched in a highly rational decision making process the resulting building broke conventions, challenging preconceptions and expectations” nevertheless the designers never strayed far from the primary goal of form following function (Seligmann, 2008, p.224). The best example is the Book Spiral. It is one of the main features of the building and the core of the structure “organizes the library’s books in one continuous path of uninterrupted Dewey Decimal progression” (MobileReference, p.24). In a conventional design readers are forced to move to another part of the building or to climb up a series of stairs. The designers also said that they wanted to emphasize the fact that although the digital age is upon mankind, the love affair with the printed page has never gone out of fashion.

The Central Library of Seattle has many similarities with the previous buildings examined in this study. First of all, the Seattle library was constructed through the passionate commitment of the people and the purpose of the building is for public use. The same is true for the Boston library because one its major inscriptions say that it is “Free to All” (Cashman, 1993, p.83). The same can be said of the Library of Congress which may be an imposing structure but it is open for everyone to use and enjoy.

Another similarity is that all these buildings are the product of their time. The Library of Congress and the Boston Public Library have constructed one year apart and they came a hundred years after the American independence and fresh from the memory of the Civil War. The designers, politicians and the general public wanted to show the world what the American people are capable of and that they too are steep in high culture. Thus, there is no better way to do achieve this than to use Renaissance inspired art, the standard of the time.

The Seattle library is also a product of its time but it is the expression of the clash between the ancient sensibilities and the digital revolution. Computers were used to design this library, a technology not yet in existence when the other two buildings were drawn up by their respective architects. At the same time the Seattle library was created with energy saving features a concept that may not be fully understood by late 19^th century builders.

Conclusion

All three libraries were created for a definite purpose. The underlying reason is to promote knowledge. But its indirect message is how times and seasons influence the designers and builders. The Boston library as well as the Jefferson Building was constructed to show the world what a fledgling nation is capable of achieving. However, the purpose of these late 19^th century structures contrasts with that of modern creations like the Central Library of Seattle wherein form follows function.

References

Architect of the Capitol. (2011). Thomas Jefferson Building. Web.

Boston Public Library. (2011). A Walking Tour. Web.

Cashman, S. (1993). America in the Gilded Age: From the Death of Lincoln to the Rise of Theodore Roosevelt. New York: New York University Press.

Chaplin, S. & A. Stara. (2009). Curating Architecture and the City. New York: Routledge.

Cole, J. & H. Reed. (1997). The Library of Congress: The Art and Architecture of the Thomas Jefferson Building. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.

Johnson, G. (2005). Renaissance Art: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

MobileReference. Travel Seattle. SoundTells. 2011. Web.

Moeller, G. & C. Weeks. (2006). AIA Guide to the Architecture of Washington, D.C. 4^th ed. MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Seligmann, A. (2008). Architectural Publicity in the Age of Globalization. MI: ProQuest.